Local Democrats kick off campaign season by blasting GOP

Syracuse -- As national Republicans nominated Mitt Romney as their presidential candidate Thursday night, Democrats in Onondaga County held their own political rally to kick off the election season.

Several hundred Democrats gathered at the Palace Theater in Eastwood to hear their local, state and national candidates present a stark contrast to the GOP gathering in Tampa, Fla.

The most fiery speaker of them all was a woman not running for anything this year – Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner. Miner ripped into Romney, vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan, and most of all, local Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle for what she called their distorted and outdated views on everything from the economy to women’s rights to climate change.

Miner was there to introduce Maffei, the former congressman who is waging a tight election battle with Buerkle, R-Onondaga Hill. But she spent most of her time bashing Buerkle and the Republicans, who she said “want to cut everything that helps middle-class people and poor people” while maintaining tax cuts for the wealthy.

She pointedly thanked Maffei for his help in funding Say Yes to Education when he was in Congress, and said Buerkle has provided nothing but “lip service” to the program.
And she blasted Buerkle and the Republicans for their stands on abortion, workplace equality, gender equity and other issues.

“They are a party of hatred that wraps up their hatred in clever 30-second sound bites,” she said.

Maffei took a somewhat less strident tone, but continued to attack the GOP on their economic policies, which he said include giving “huge tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires.”

“We tried that before and it was called the Bush recession,” he said.

And, in keeping with the spirit of the night, he mocked the Republican gathering in Tampa.

“I think it’s not a reality show,” he said. “I think it is more like that show called ‘Fantasy Island.’ ”

He chastised Buerkle for seeking to reject federal money appropriated for high-speed rail in Central New York, which he said is a key to building the region’s economy. And, like Miner, he pushed the most popular Democratic talking point of late – the comments about rape made by Rep. Todd Akin, R-Mo., and the so-called Republican “war on women.”

“They want to take our country back, I don’t think it’s 50 years, I think it’s 100 years,” he said.